I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters here save one or two OCs. I hope you enjoy.

Love,

thereisaredeemer.

Back on Yavin 4 I reported my findings to Draven.

The next evening he summons me to his office.

"We got a girl. She just might be the link we need. Her name is Jyn Erso.

Here's her file, read it." He pauses. "You'll be extracting her.

I read it that night. The file was short.

Jyn Erso disappeared at about the same time as her father.

A team searched the Erso's farm on Lah'mu. They found the homestead burning, and the dead body of Lyra Erso [Jyns mother] lying on the ground in front of the house.

Eight years later rumors were confirmed that Jyn Erso was alive and fighting with Saw Gerrera.

But before she could be apprehended, she was gone.

No trace was found.

Seven years later, Intelligence found a lead.

A woman going by the name of Liana Hallik is suspected of being Jyn Erso. She is now on Wobani.

Wobani! Not the place I would have expected the daughter of an Imperial scientist to get herself into.

Two days latter, approximately three hours after dawn, I am summoned to the briefing room. The dim lighting in the room made for an intimidating atmosphere; something I had made use of many times.

I stand in the shadows as a bloody looking sergeant Melshi escorted Jyn Erso to a chair. Her posture is tense, sullen, ready to fight at a moments notice. Her eyes scan the room, flicking past mine before settling on General Draven.

There is silence, then Draven spoke. "You're currently calling yourself—" He stepped towards her, and into a beam of light, glancing from the girl to the datapad in his hands. "— Liana Hallik. Is that correct?"

Draven always did this, tried to intimidate those he was interrogating. But this time it didn't work. She simply met his gaze calmly.

"Possession of unsanctioned weapons, forged Imperial documents, aggravated assault, escape from custody, resisting arrest…"

Her undivided attention gave me the opportunity to truly study her for the first time. Dark brown hair. There was no surprise in her posture.

Draven continued, "Imagine if the Imperial authorities had found out who you really were.

"Jyn Erso? Thats your given name, is it not?"

A muscle in her neck twitched, her hands clenched. Something flashed across her face to quickly for me to read. Then her mask fell again.

He kept talking, "Jyn Erso? Daughter of Galen Erso. A known Imperial collaborator in weapons department."

I detected movement from the corner of my peripheral vision. Mon Mothma strides towards the table, her white robes standing out like a beacon on a stormy night.

"What is this?" Erso hisses at Mothma. Her voice is cold. Accusatory.

"It's a chance for you to make a fresh start," Mon Mothma answers smoothly. "We think you might be able to help us."

Mothma gestures to me,"This is Captain Cassian Andor, Rebel Intelligence."

Erso turns her eyes toward me. I step forward gaging her expression, I stop two yards away from her. I don't trust her not to lunge like she did on the way back from Wobani.

"When was the last time you were in contact with your father?" I ask with false casualness.

"15 years ago." Her answer is short. She knows interrogations well and seems to enjoy thwarting our every effort to unbalance her.

"Any idea where he's been all that time?" I watch her. Her last answer figures, but that doesn't mean she won't lie.

"I like to think he's dead," She still cares. The thought surprises me. That this woman is capable of affection is almost unthinkable.

"Makes things easier." She answers shortly.

"Easier than what? That he's being a tool of the Imperial war machine?"

"I've never had the luxury of political opinions." Erso snaps, she is guarded but confused.

"Really? When was your last contact with Saw Gerrera?"

She is silent for a moment, her face blank. "It's been along time," Is her final answer.

I pounce on the information. There is no warmth left in my voice. "He'd remember you, though, wouldn't he? He might agree to meet you, if you came as a friend."

She is silent, sorting through the information. Choosing an answer that I might believe. What ever she says I won't believe it.

"We're up against the clock here, girl, So if there's nothing to talk about, we'll just put you back where we found you." Draven interrupts with a snarl.

She had glanced at him as he spoke, but now she turns her chilling gaze on me. She has come to a decision. With no emotion in her voice she tells what I can imagine is the first truthful sentence she has told about her childhood. "I was a child, Saw Gerrera saved my life. He raised me. But I've no idea where he is. I haven't seen him in years."

"We know how to find him," I inform her. "that's not our problem. What we need is someone who gets us through the door without being killed." I know I've slipped up even before she speaks.

She smirks. "You're all rebels, aren't you?"

"Yes, but Saw Gerrera's an extremist. He's been fighting on his own since he broke with the Rebellion. Mothma interjects trying to fix my mistake. "His militancy has caused the Alliance a great many problems. We have no choice now but to try to mend that broken trust." Erso's eyes are steady as she asks, "What does this have to do with my father?"

She's smart, I'll give her that. Most people would have been confused and forgotten my first question. Not her, her mind is sharp. I had not prepared for this possibility, for needing to give her any information.

I speak slowly, carefully. "There's an Imperial defector in Jedha. A pilot. He's being held by Saw Gerrera." For the first time I look her straight in the eye. A chill goes down my spine. Her gaze is hard, empty, that of one who has killed without remorse. But what unnerves me, is looking at her, is like looking at my reflection, and seeing the part of me I hate most. My courage falters. "He's claiming the Emperor is creating a weapon with the power to destroy entire planets. The pilot," I inform Erso, "says he was sent by your father."

I smile as emotion crosses her eyes. Hope. Anger. And the mask falls again.

"We need to stop this weapon before it is finished." Mon Mothma declares.

I watch Erso. Nothing.

"Captain Andor's mission is to authenticate the pilot's story and then, if possible, find your father."

Hope flares up suddenly in her eyes. She seems alive, almost.

Mothma continues. "It appears he is critical to the development of this superweapon. Given the gravity of the situation and your history with Saw, we're hoping that he will help us locate your father and return him to the Senate for testimony."

"And if I do it?" Erso's resolve crumbling slowly.

"We'll make sure you go free." Mothma answers.

Mothma might actually believe that. Erso snorts. She would be lucky if Draven just has someone keeping tabs on her.

I walk beside her as I escort Erso to my U-wing. I throw my duffel into the interior. "Captain Andor!" I hear Draven shout from behind me.

I jog back to Draven and wait for his instructions. "Galen Erso is vital to the Empire's weapon program. Forget what you heard in there, there will be no 'extraction'. You find him, you kill him. Then and there. Those are your orders."

It makes perfect sense and I agree with him, bringing Galen Erso to the Senate is absurd.

But I remember Erso's eyes. The flare which had kindled when she heard that her father was alive. I was escorting a woman who had just been given hope when before there had been none. A woman who—heritage not withstanding—had clearly inherited Saw Gerrera's consuming rage and cutting competence.

As I walk back to my ship I not certain which idea troubled me more: what I was doing to Erso, or what she would do to me if she ever learned the truth.

"You met Kay-Tu?" I ask Erso as I board the U-wing.

"Charming." She answer sarcastically. They definitely won't be friends.

"He tends to say whatever comes into his circuits. It's a by-product of the reprogram." I explain.

I head toward the cockpit and my only friend, K-2 calls out, "Why does she get a blaster, and I don't?"

"What!" I turn around and look at her. She's holding the gun casually. But she handles it with a frightening familiarity.

"I know how to use it." She says defensively.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Give it to me."

She doesn't. I didn't expect her to. "We're going to Jedha. That's a war zone." She emphasizes war zone. True. But I don't want to be shot in the back.

"That's not the point." I pause. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it".

"I find that answer vague and unconvincing." K-2 interjects.

I turn my gaze on her and give her the look I an accustomed to giving those who refuse to do as I order. She meets my stare and holds it.

Her glare matching my own. "Trust goes both ways." She declares calmly.

Reminding me that I am using her. The best I can do is leave her alone. Give her no reason to suspect treachery. Give her the means to revenge her self. Give me the excuse to kill her when the time comes.

I guess I respect her. Not many people can steal a blaster and holster off the men in the hangar. And fewer can withstand General Draven's gaze for long. She held it till he looked away.

I turn around and head back to the cockpit.

"You're letting her keep it?" K-2 asks incredulously. Of coarse he is. Even I am having second thoughts about it.

"Would you like to know the probability of her using it against you?" He continues.

When I ignore him and begin strapping myself in, He goes on. "It's high."

"Let's get going." I try to ignore the feeling that tells me this is the last mission I will take.

"It's very high."

Six days and eight hours later I yawn. Its been four days since we stopped on Lah'mu for fuel, but I still see her face just as vividly as it was then. A look of shock. Pain. Anger. Then she just walked out of the ship and started running for the hills.

I sent Kay after her but it was in vain. She knew the terrain too well. As soon as the U-wing was full I took off and picked up Kay. He had stoped searching and was waiting for me. For the next day we continued searching. When we finally found her she was kneeling on a grave weeping unashamedly.

I didn't dare speak to her so I sent k-2 for her. Since then I've slept only 16 hours. And she has been curled in a corner ignoring me. She hasn't eaten that I know of.

Half an our later we are closing in on Jedha. "We're coming into orbit. You have controls." I tell K-2.

I step in to the main compartment. Jyn looks up at me. I point out the viewport.

"That's Jedha." I pause. "Or what's left of it."

She turns away and curls up fingering a crystal.

"We find Saw, we find your father." I say it without thinking. I use her weakness to insure her cooperation. But I have to turn away and seek refuge in the cockpit away from her.

I sort my thoughts as I return to the cockpit; I need to find my contact, who will then hopefully lead me to Saw, who will hopefully except Jyn without killing me, and will then hopefully give us access to the message and or the pilot.

The keyword being hopefully.

After that if we survive I will decide where we go next.

Jyn. For some reason I can not fathom, I hope she survives the war-torn city and it's occupants.

I groan inwardly. I've begun to think of her as Jyn. By her first name. As a person.

Jyn.

She will only make it harder. Especially if she learns the truth. She will do anything to stop me.

I had seen it in her eyes, the need for her father. The hope. The flame that burned.

"Trust goes both ways."

That's what she had said when I had ordered her to give me the blaster she had 'found'. K-2's analysis of the probability she would use the weapon against me… She did not trust me, that was obvious. But the had agreed to come. Probable because of her father. But she trusted Mothma. Some.

By the time the transport alit on a cracked desert mesa, I had thrust Jyn Erso from my mind and the thoughts concerning my imminent death.

As K-2SO and I exited the ship we found Jyn sitting on a rock staring out at the distant Holy City. "What's with the Destroyer?" She asks as I kneel with my quadnocs, looking out at our destination.

At least she asked a real question. Some people I've had to work with prattled nervously on about nothing. "It's because of your old friend, Saw Gerrera." I answer. "He's been attacking the cargo shipments."

"What are they bringing in?"

"It's 'what are they taking out?' I pass her the quadnocs.

"Kybur crystal. All they can get. We wondered why they were stripping the temple, now we know. It's the fuel for the weapon."

"The weapon your father's building." K-2 says.

Jyn glances disdainfully at him and says, "Maybe we should leave target practice behind."

"Are you talking about me?" K-2SO asks. Insulting him is one thing Jyn enjoys if the past days are anything to go by.

"She's right." I admit. "We need to blend in. Stay with the ship."

"I can blend in." K-2 declares . "I'm an Imperial droid. This city is under Imperial occupation."

"Half the people here want to reprogram you. The other half want to put a hole in your head." Jyn states matter of factly.

I'm not certain wether she's talking about the occupants of Jedha City or the two of us. I did reprogram him. And I don't think she would hesitate to shoot him.

"I'm surprised you're so concerned with my safety."

"I'm not. I'm just worried they might miss you and hit me."

I start walking.

She tosses her satchel to K-2 as she follows. "Doesn't sound so bad to me." He mutters as he drops it.

K-2SO has found his match.

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